Trolley crash snarls Green Line rush hour

Two Green Line trolleys crashed at the height of the morning rush yesterday in the Boylston T Station, complicating the commute and sending seven people to local hospitals with reports of neck and back pain, according to an MBTA spokesman.

An inbound trolley bumped into the back of a second as it pulled up to the platform at 8:45 a.m., said Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman Joe Pesaturo. The crash did not damage or derail the trolleys, but it caused the trains to hitch together.

"All of a sudden, the train just shook," said Eric Chen, 20, a Northeastern University student who was one of roughly 500 riders on the two trains. "A couple people spilled their coffee, and my friend hit her head."

The two conductors were among those injured in the collision. The seven people were taken to hospitals, Pesaturo said.

For an hour and 45 minutes, riders were bused between stations at Arlington and Government Center.

Trolley service resumed on the Green Line shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Investigators trying to determine what caused the collision are examining the tracks, signals, trolley equipment, and the actions of the operators, Pesaturo said.